Capital Roots, Schenectady Greenmarket gets $848,737 federal grant

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10)-- Capital Roots in Troy and the Schenectady Greenmarket received $848,737 from a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) grant. The funding comes from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, which aims to create new markets and deliver healthy, locally-grown food to underserved communities.

For Capital Roots, the $499,772 will expand the nonprofit's Farm-to-Institution Program. The Farm-to-Institution Program connects small-scale producers interested in selling products to institutions seeking smaller producers.

Additionally, Capital Roots received $98,965 for its Retail Market Program, which provides Capital Region farms with retail spaces among underprivileged communities. The funding will create a Retail Marketing Promotion Plan to increase farm sales through electronic, print, and public marketing.

Schenectady Greenmarket received $250,000 of the grant to support vendor and customer involvement and improve retention and outreach efforts. The federal grant will also support small producers through mentorship opportunities, training, and a Vendor Success Toolkit.

The Local Agriculture Market Program's (LAMP) Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program (FMLFPP) distribute grants to Captial Roots and Schenectady Greenmarket. The nonprofits are two of 113 grant projects awarded in 43 states, amounting to $33.5 million in awards.